Automated semiconductor processing system

Abstract

A semiconductor processing system for wafers or other semiconductor articles. The system uses an interface section at an end of the machine accessible from the clean room. A plurality of processing stations are arranged away from the clean room interface. A transfer subsystem removes wafers from supporting carriers, and positions both the wafers and carriers onto a carrousel which is used as an inventory storage. Wafers are shuttled between the inventory and processing stations by a robotic conveyor which is oriented to move toward and away from the interface end. The system processes the wafers without wafer carriers.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A system for processing articles comprising: 
       an interface section having a plurality of positions for holding article carriers, with each article carrier having a plurality of grooves for holding an array of articles;  
       a process section adjacent to the interface section, with the process section including at least one processor including a rotor rotatably supported within the process chamber and having combs for holding the array of articles, the rotor having an open front end; and  
       a robotic conveyor movable from the interface section to the process section, with the conveyor having an arm and an article transfer implement at an end of the arm, the article transfer implement having transfer implement arms including transfer implement grooves;  
       the robotic conveyor conveying the array of articles from the interface section into the rotor by engaging the array of articles into the transfer implement grooves, lifting the array of articles vertically, moving in a first direction horizontally to the processor, and then moving in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, to move the articles into the rotor through the open front end of the rotor, and then moving vertically downwardly to place the articles into the combs of the rotor, and with the second direction parallel to a spin axis of the rotor.  
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1  further including a rail extending between the interface section and the process section, with the robotic conveyor moveable along the rail in the first direction. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 2  further comprising a plurality of processors, and with the rail extending in front of each of the processors. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1  with the rotor rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the first direction. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1  with the interface section including a front wall and an interface opening in the front wall, for loading and unloading articles into and out of the system. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1  with the interface section adjoining the process section. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1  with the article transfer implement including a pair of spaced apart arms, and with the transfer implement grooves formed in the spaced apart arms. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 1  wherein the process chamber has an open front end, with loading and unloading of the process chamber performed by moving articles through the open front end of the process chamber and into the rotor. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 8  wherein the rotor is cantilevered on a shaft extending through the closed back end of the chamber. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 1  with the rotor further comprising one or more retainer assemblies on the rotor, for exerting radially inward force on the articles in the rotor. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 1  wherein the robotic conveyor comprises a first arm section pivotably attached to a second arm section, and a third arm section pivotably attached to the second arm section. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 1  with the robotic conveyor comprising an end effector including a pair of arms attached to a main body, with the arms spaced apart by a fixed distance less than a diameter of the articles, and a plurality of grooves in upward facing surfaces of the spaced apart arms, to allow the robotic conveyor to pick up and carry the array of articles without any part of the robotic conveyor moving into a position vertically above the array of articles. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 1  with the process chamber having an open front end, and a process chamber door moveable between a closed position, for processing articles within the chamber and an open position, for loading and unloading articles into and out of the rotor in the process chamber. 
     
     
       14. A system for processing articles comprising: 
       an interface section having a plurality of positions for holding article carriers, with each of the article carriers having a plurality of grooves for holding an array of articles;  
       a process section adjacent to the interface section, with the process section including at least one processor including a rotor supported on a single rotor shaft extending through a rear wall of the process chamber, and having combs for holding the array of articles, and with the rotor having an open front end, and with loading and unloading of the rotor performed by moving articles through the open front end of the rotor;  
       a robotic conveyor movable from the interface section to the process section, with the conveyor having an arm and an article transfer implement at an end of the arm, the article transfer implement having transfer implement arms including transfer implement grooves;  
       the robotic conveyor for conveying the array of articles from the interface section into the rotor in the process chamber, with the robotic conveyor comprising an end effector including a pair of arms attached to a main body, with the arms spaced apart by a fixed distance less than a diameter of the articles, and a plurality of grooves in upward facing surfaces of the spaced apart arms, to allow the robotic conveyor to pick up and carry the array of articles without any part of the robotic conveyor moving into a position vertically above the array of articles.  
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 14  with the robotic conveyor conveying the array of articles from the interface section into the rotor by engaging the array of articles into the transfer implement grooves, lifting the array of articles vertically, moving in a first direction horizontally to the processor, and then moving in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, to move the articles into the rotor through the open front end of the rotor, and then moving vertically downwardly to place the articles into the combs of the rotor, and with the second direction parallel to a spin axis of the rotor. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 14  with the rotor further comprising one or more retainer assemblies, for exerting radially inward force on the articles in the rotor. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 14  wherein the robotic conveyor comprises a first arm section pivotably attached to a second arm section, and a third arm section pivotably attached to the second arm section. 
     
     
       18. A system for processing articles comprising: 
       an enclosure;  
       an interface section within the enclosure and having a plurality of carrier positions for holding article carriers, and having a plurality of supports, with each of the supports having spaced apart grooves for holding an array of articles;  
       at least one elevator in the interface section, positioned to lift articles out of the carriers and place the articles onto the supports;  
       a process section within the enclosure and adjacent to the interface section, with the process section including at least one centrifugal spray processor including a rotor having an open front end, with the rotor rotatably supported within the process chamber and having combs for holding the array of articles, and  
       a robotic conveyor movable from the interface section to the process section, with the conveyor having a hand and a pair of spaced apart arms attached to the hand and including grooves on an upper surface of each arm;  
       the robotic conveyor conveying the array of articles from the interface section into the rotor by engaging the array of articles from below, with the edges of the articles moving into the grooves of the arms, lifting the array of articles vertically, moving in a first direction horizontally to the processor, and then moving in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, to move the articles into the rotor through the open front end of the rotor, and then moving vertically downwardly to place the articles into the combs of the rotor, and with the second direction parallel to a spin axis of the rotor.